The Encounter of a Lifetime
by TVDgirl013
Summary: This story is set before the pilot episode of The Vampire Diaries. It is about Stefan trying to find out who Elena is and how she is connected to Katherine. The story is told in Stefan's point of view.
1. Chapter 1

** The Encounter of a Lifetime**

Chapter 1

It was the first time I have been back to my home of Mystic Falls in fifteen years. I have come back to see my home, and to see my nephew, Zack. He lives in the boarding house by Wickery Bridge. Over the course of a century, generations of Salvatores have lived in that very home. Over 161 years of existing, I have seen people age and eventually die, while I remain a seventeen year old teenager.

It is nice seeing Zack, even though we do not have a close relationship. I know that he does not fully accept vampires. It is understandable, since he lost his entire family due to vampirism. While I am home, I go to my bedroom, where all of my important possessions are. As the years pass I see everything around me change; music, literature, culture. it is nice to go somewhere that remains the same. In my bedroom, my personal journals are stored. I have been writing in journals ever since my childhood in the nineteenth century. Writing in these journals has always been important to me, because they enable me to write about my memories, and memories are too important to forget. Our choices, actions, and relationships shape who we are, and it is good to have records of them.

While I am in Mystic Falls, I must feed. I have to go to the woods to find animals to feed on to remain alive. It is in a vampire's nature to feed on human beings, but I have made the decision to sustain from human blood a long time ago. After I turned, I fed on human blood and relished in it. I did not think about the repercussions of my actions. All I thought was my desire to drink blood and the power and feelings it brought. It was not until I met my best friend, Lexi, that I realized that I could live my life a different way as a vampire. In 1912, my temptations for human blood overpowered me once again, and I went back to the lifestyle I swore I would never have again. I once again became a true ripper with no humanity. When I fed, I was so immerse in it, that I would black out and wake up in places that were unrecognizable. I killed so many people, which I can never have enough sorrow for. Fortunately, Lexi helped me and convinced me to turn on my humanity. She aided me into overcoming temptations. During the time I was a ripper in the 1920's, I found an antique necklace in a club in Chicago. I kept it, and when I finally found my way back, the necklace symbolized hope. Hope that I can be a vampire who does not kill innocent people, and even in my darkest times I can come back the other end. When I found my way, it was then I made the vow to only drink the blood of animals, so I would not become the person that I despised so much.

While I am on my way to the woods to feed, I hear a party full of teenagers at the falls. Teenagers nowadays are so different than how they were in the 1860's. Now, teenagers act more freely and they do not have to grow up so quickly. I remember when I was just a teenager. I had many friends and a family. That all changed when I was seventeen years old.

When I got to the woods, I heard a rabbit eating. I ran with as such speed as possible, snatched the bunny and fed on it.

The second I was done feeding, I heard a car go off the bridge. I heard screams, and ran as fast as I could. When I got there, the car already submerged in the water. I dove into the water, and saw a man and a woman in the front seat. The man was still conscious, and as I swam toward the side of the car he was at, he pointed to the back seat, gesturing that I save the person in back. A young girl was in the back seat. I pulled her out of the car and out of the water. I immediately went back into the water to try to save the other people in the car. I entered the car. Neither of their hearts was beating. They were dead. I went back to the surface and to the spot where I put the girl. I looked at the girl and she looked exactly like Katherine!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

How is that possible? Katherine has been dead for 145 years! I heard the girl's heartbeat. It was slow, but there was a heartbeat. Could this girl be Katherine? If it is, than that means Katherine became human again. I have never heard of a cure for vampirism. There could be. Before I met Katherine, I did not think vampires existed. Another scenario is that this girl is not Katherine, but she is the spitting image of her because she is in the same bloodline as Katherine. I need to know if this is Katherine. If it is not, than I need to find out why this girl looks exactly like Katherine. But first, I have to take this girl to the hospital. I carried the girl and I ran to the local hospital using my super speed. I went through the back door of the hospital. I saw a male doctor by himself. I compelled him to take the girl and care for her and for him to forget I was ever there. After the doctor took the girl, I rushed to the boardinghouse. I went straight to my bedroom, and I took out the picture of Katherine, Katherine Pierce, the girl I loved, the girl that lied to me and turned me. How is it even a possibility that Katherine did not die, but instead converted back into a human? How it also a possibility that the girl I rescued is not Katherine, but a girl that is physically identically to her. I have to go back the hospital. I have to find out the truth. I need to know who this girl is.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It has been a couple of hours since I dropped the girl off at the hospital. My mind has been swirling around. There are so many possibilities of who this girl is. This girl could be the vampire that made me believe that I loved her, made me into a vampire, and ruined my life. This girl could also just be an innocent girl. I must go back the hospital. I need to find out the truth about this girl. I looked at the clock in my room; it read 12:02 am. As soon as I saw the time, I went downstairs quickly and through the door to outside. I rushed to the hospital once again.

When I arrived at the hospital, I overheard two male doctors talking in front of a patient's room. They were talking about a girl named Elena Gilbert. The doctor that I saw earlier was one of the doctors in front of the room. He said "I do not remember someone dropping her off here. I just remember her being here".

The other doctor said "You have been working long hours. You need some rest".

The doctors walked away from the room and down the hall. I peered into the room. I saw a folder with pieces of paper. The folder had a sticker on it labeled 'Elena Gilbert'. If her last name is Gilbert, she is probably a descendent of Johnathon Gilbert, who was alive back in 1864. Maybe this girl is not Elena Gilbert. This girl could be Katherine that become human and gave herself the name, Elena Gilbert. I need to find out more information.

I heard a police officer about thirty feet away speaking to a female doctor. The police officer told the doctor, "Miranda and Grayson Gilbert were just found at the bottom of the water by Wickery Bridge in their car. I do not know how the girl got out of the car. It is amazing. I notified the girl's aunt. She is on her way."

I watched 'Elena' for a couple of minutes. I whispered to myself "I will find out who you are". After the couple of minutes, I went to the boarding house. I cannot even think clearly now. There are so many different theories in my mind about this girl. I need to relax now. I need some rest. After I get some rest, I will investigate and find out once and for all who this girl is.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I woke up at 10:00 am the next day. Zack was still sleeping. I could tell from his snoring. I took off the clothes I wore yesterday and while I was sleeping. I put on a navy blue t-shirt, jeans, and black boots. After I got dressed, I went straight to the hospital. When I got to the hospital, I carefully went into Elena's room. Nobody was there. I heard someone going toward the room. I ran out of the room as fast as I could and I went into an area where nobody was at.

I heard a woman enter Elena's room. Elena said "Hi, Ms. Forbes".

"Hi, honey", the woman said softly with a hint of sadness.

"How did I get here? The last thing I remembered is my parents picking me up from the party", Elena said.

Mrs. Forbes was silent for a few seconds and said "Elena, after your parents picked you up, they lost control of the car. The car went over Wickery Bridge".

"Where are my parents? I have to see them" Elena said.

"I'm so sorry, Elena; but they did not make it"

"No! They cannot be! No!" Elena exclaimed.

"I'm so sorry", the woman whispered. Elena started to cry.

I heard another person go into the room. The person said "Elena". The person was a teenage boy.

Elena said Matt" sadly.

I could hear Matt footsteps move toward Elena. He started to cry a little too but not as much as Elena. He said to Elena "I'm so sorry". Elena started to cry a little bit louder.

Another boy entered the room. When he entered the room, Elena's cries lessened. She was not crying as much. She said "Jeremy I'm so sorry about mom and dad".

Jeremy started to cry a little bit. Elena said "Come here" to him and she hugged her brother.

Maybe this girl is not Katherine. The Katherine I knew was a conniving, manipulative being. The girl in that hospital room is a scared young girl. I need to find more information on this girl.

I left the hospital and went to town hall. Perhaps this girl was born in Mystic Falls. I went to the town clerk's office. I asked one of the female workers "Was Elena Gilbert born in Mystic Falls?" using compulsion.

The worker said "Yes, she was".

I told her "Please, give me a copy of her birth certificate" still using compulsion.

The worker turned around and copied Elena's birth certificate and gave me the copy of it. I told the worker "Thank you" and I turned around and left town hall. As soon as I got outside I looked at the birth certificate. It said that she was born Elena Gilbert in Mystic Falls General on June 22, 1992 and that her parents are Miranda and Grayson.

This girl does not seem to be Katherine Pierce. She seems to just be a girl named Elena Gilbert. But how does she look exactly look like someone that existed over a century ago? Even if she is in the same bloodline as Katherine, it is odd that she looks identical to her. Elena does not just look like Katherine the way family members do, but she looks a clone or a duplicate of Katherine. There is a chance that Elena is Katherine. It does not seem like it, but there is a possibility. I need to make sure Elena is not Kathrine. I need to figure out the connection between the two whether it is they are the same person or they are two different people.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I need to investigate on Elena Gilbert. I need to find out the truth. There is a chance that it could be Katherine. But why would she have a birth certificate? If it is Katherine, I am going to get the truth about why she lied and manipulated me and my brother. I do not love Katherine. I never did even when I was a human. She compelled and made me believe that I truly loved her. She could have compelled anyone else. Why did she compel me? She ruined my life. I need answers for why she did it. If it is not Katherine, then I am going to leave town. I need to find out everything I can about this girl. I need the truth.

As I was leaving town hall, I saw a tall boy about six feet with tan skin, blue eyes, wearing a black t-shirt and jeans walking toward the entrance of town hall. He looked to be about Elena's age. He must know her. I stopped him as he was walking. I went directly in front of him. I asked him "What's your name".

"My name is Brandon" the boy said

"Well Brandon, I need you to tell me everything you know about Elena Gilbert. Ok", I said using compulsion.

"Ok. Elena is a sophomore at Mystic Falls High School She has lived in town for her whole life. Her parents just died because their car went over Wickery Bridge. She has a little brother named Jeremy. She is dating Matt Donovan who is on the football team. She is best friends with Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes. She is popular and a cheerleader." Brandon said.

"Thank you, Brandon. Forget we had this conversation".

"Ok" Brandon said. He turned around and went into town hall.

Elena has lived here all of her life. The information that I have been getting is pointing to the fact that Elena Gilbert is just Elena Gilbert and not Katherine Pierce. But I need to be exactly sure it is not Katherine.

I saw a woman in her thirties with blonde hair and brown eyes wearing a white dress with white sandals walking toward town hall. I went toward her and asked her "Do you know where Elena Gilbert lives".

"Yes, she lives at 2104 Maple Street", the woman said.

"Thank you", I said. The woman started to walk toward town hall.

I went to Elena's house. Nobody was home. I went into the house. It looked like a typical family house. There were pictures all over. I went to the living room. By the window there were a few pictures not in frames. I looked through the pictures. A few of the pictures were of Elena's parents. One of the pictures was of a young girl about ten years old. I looked at the back of the picture. It said 'Elena Gilbert 2002'. The girl in the picture did look like a young version of Elena.

I went upstairs. I went into a room. The room was covered with posters from different video games and movies. This room must be Elena's brother's room. I went into another room. The room looked like it could be a teenage girl's room. There was picture of a horse on the wall. The bed in the room had white sheets; two pillows decorate with flowers, and a brown stuffed bear lying against the pillow on the left side of the bed. This must be Elena's room. I noticed a shelf that was filled with books, trophies, and pictures. I saw a book with 'the wording Elena Gilbert' on the front of it. I flipped through the book. The book had pictures of Elena and Elena's family and friends in it. One of the pictures was picture of Elena with the boy that was in the hospital that was named Matt. Matt is probably her boyfriend. In the picture, Matt is wearing a light blue bottomed down shirt with black khaki pants and black shoes. Elena is wearing a red strapless dress that goes down to just above her knee with her hair in a side ponytail. She is smiling in the picture. She looks so beautiful in the picture. She looks so young and innocent. I remember when I saw Katherine for the first time. I thought she was beautiful. When I looked into her eyes I saw a bit of mischief. When I looked at Elena's eyes in the picture, I saw innocence and warmth.

I hear someone opening the door. I put the book back where it was on the shelf originally. I opened the window and jumped out. This Elena Gilbert seems interesting. I need to know more about her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After I left Elena's house, I went straight to the boarding house. It was 7:00 pm at night. Zack was not home. He must still be at work. I have not talked to him since I have returned to Mystic Falls. I know we do not have a close relationship, because he does not trust vampires. I want a better relationship with him. He is my only relative left besides Damon. Maybe if I stayed in town longer, Zack could see that he can trust me and realize that I am not just some blood thirsty apathetic vampire. I remember when I was human I had a father, a brother; I had a life. I just want a life now. I want to live somewhere where I can have a family and friends. It is crazy that it has been over 100 years since I have been human. I know I cannot become a human again, but I want to live like a human as much as I can. In my life, there is only one person that I can trust and that is Lexi. She is my best friend. She has helped me in the darkest times of my life. I do not get to see her often, but when I do I can just be myself, I want more people in my life like her.

When I saw that picture of Elena, it reminded me of a time when I was happy and had a life. She looked so happy and beautiful in that picture. She is still very beautiful, but she is devastated. She will not be sad forever. But it is going to talk some time.

When I saw that picture of her, I felt a connection. The first thought that came to my mind is that she is so beautiful. There are no other words to describe it. When I saw Katherine, I honestly thought she was beautiful. But the word 'beautiful' meant something differently to me back then. Back then it just meant attractive. But over the years the word has a deeper meaning to me. Being beautiful means someone being attractive inside and out. It means someone is radiate and is bright. I saw that when I saw Elena in that picture smiling. You can tell a lot about a person from their smile. Elena's smile is radiate and shows she is a nice girl. Katherine's smile was not like that. When Katherine was smiling, it was like she had a secret; a dangerous secret, and it was like she was planning something. I know that looks can be deceiving. But I think Elena could be someone very special.

Before I went to sleep for the night, I got one of journals from my shelf in my bedroom and started writing in it. I have had journals since my childhood. Journals and writing in them is a way I can express my thoughts and feelings. Also, I can read old journal entries and revisit past memories.

While I was sleeping, I had a dream. I was in the boarding house. I heard someone knock on the door. I opened the door. It was Elena. I could tell because it was the same dress that she was wearing in the picture I saw earlier. I asked her "What are you doing here".

"I am picking you up for our date, silly", dream Elena said. She then grabbed my hand and we went into her Steel Blue Metallic Ford Escape. She started to drive. She pulled the car in a parking spot. I noticed we were going to go into a restaurant. We both got out of the car. Dream Elena turned to me and said "This looks a very nice place, Stefan".

I said "Yeah, it does". The restaurant did look like a really nice restaurant. We went into the restaurant, where we talked. We talked about movies, television, music, history. We talked about everything. As she was talking, I kept staring at her. She was smiling. She looked so gorgeous and happy.

At the end of our date, she drove me back to the boarding house. When we got there, we both got out of the car. We walked to the front door. She turned to me and said "I had a great time tonight".

"So, did I", I said. There was a pause for about ten seconds. After the pause, dream Elena started to lean toward me and she started to turn her head to the right. I started to lean toward her and turned my head to the left. As we were about to kiss, I woke up. I looked at the clock. It was 8:00 am. I have to know Elena Gilbert.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After I woke up, I got out of by bed and went toward my desk. My laptop was on my desk. I lift the top the laptop up and turned the laptop on. I must find more information on Elena Gilbert. I need to know the type of person she is. She seems like a nice girl, but I could be wrong. I thought Katherine was a nice girl, but then I found out who she really was.

A lot of teenagers post about their lives online. Teenagers nowadays are so opened. Back when I was human, teenagers were more closed off. They were modest and they did not express themselves as much as kids do today.

When my computer finally turned on, I typed the words 'Elena Gilbert' and 'Mystic Falls' into the Google website. I figured that Elena probably has some type of blog or a profile on a social media site where she posts about her life. A few links for 'Elena Gilbert Mystic Falls' showed up. One of the links was to Facebook. I clicked on it. It was Elena's Facebook profile. Her profile picture was her wearing a Mystic Falls High School cheerleading uniform with her boyfriend, Matt wearing a Mystic Falls High School Football jersey with jeans. Matt had his arm around Elena in the picture. They look like a happy couple. I am a little jealous looking at this picture. I never had a normal happy romantic relationship in my life. I thought that Katherine would be someone that I could be happy with and in a loving and committed relationship with, but I was wrong. I am also jealous, because Matt gets to be with Elena. It is crazy. I do not even know her, but I am a little bit envious over some boy being with her.

On Elena's Facebook page, there are lots of pictures of her with her family and friends. After looking at her pictures, I went to the page that showed her interests. A few of the movies she likes are _The Notebook_, _Juno_, and _Harry Potter_. A few of her favorite shows are _Grey's Anatomy_, _NCIS, _and _Bones_. Some of her favorite musical artists are Jamie Lidell, Sara Bareilles, and the Beatles. I looked at the listing for her favorite books. It seems that we have similar taste in literature. We both like _Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre_,_ The Grapes of Wrath_, and _The Great Gatsby_. Elena likes some American classics.

After looking at Elena's Gilbert Facebook page, I kind of have an idea of the type of person she is. She seems like a regular high school girl. She likes fashion, movies, and music. She likes to have fun. Elena also seems like a deep person. She loves to read books that make people think. She cares deeply about her family and friends. She seems like a great person.

After I was done looking for information about Elena online, I realized that I have not fed in a couple of days, so I got up and changed my clothes. I put on a dark blue t-shirt and jeans. I put on my black boots. After getting dressed, I went outside into the woods.

For the first few minutes of being in the woods, I did not see any animals. But then I heard a rabbit nibbling on something. The rabbit was not very far. I ran in the direction that the sound was coming from. The rabbit was nibbling on some grass. At the moment I saw the rabbit, I rushed to it, held on to it with both of my hands, bit it, and started to drink its blood. I drank its blood until it was dead.

Animal blood does not make me as strong as human blood does, but I will never go back to drinking human blood. Human blood turns me into something I do not want to be. It turns me into a monster. Being a vampire does not make me a monster. What makes me a monster is hurting and slaughtering innocent people. I am never going to go back to doing that.

When I was finished with feeding, I left the woods. I went to the hospital to check on Elena. I sneaked into the hospital. I made sure nobody saw me. If they did, I would compel them to forget me. I went in front of Elena's room. I looked into the room quickly. She was the only person in the room. I ran quickly into her room and besides her bed. Elena was sleeping. She looked so innocent and pretty. I heard someone walk toward the room. I ran out of the room in the direction opposite of the way the person was walking. I went into an area where nobody was at.

I heard the person go into a room. I could hear Elena in the room breathing and I could also hear another person in the room breathing as well. The other person in Elena's room must be the same person I heard walking less than a minute ago. Elena must have woken up at the moment, because I heard her say "Hi, Aunt Jenna", quietly.

"Hi", said Jenna. "I'm sorry I woke you".

"It's okay. I would have woken up anyway". Where is Jeremy", Elena said.

"He is at Matt' house. Kelly just got home yesterday", Jenna said.

"That's good", Elena said.

Jenna told Elena "I talked to the doctor earlier. He said that your health is good and that you are going to be able to some home in two days".

Elena said quietly, "Yeah, my health is good. But I'm not doing good. I can't believe mom and dad died. I can't believe it. What's going to happen now?''

"I do not know, but you, me and Jeremy are going to get through it together. Ok?"

"Ok", Elena said.

Elena is so devastated. She just lost both of her parents. I have lost many people in my lifetime, and it does not get any easier. But I know that Elena is going to get through this.

After listening to Elena and her aunt's conversation for a bit, I left the hospital. I know that to get to know Elena and to make sure she is not another Katherine, I have to talk to people that actually know her.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After the hospital, I decided to talk to the people that are close to Elena. If I want to know the true her, I need to talk to the people that are close to her.

I looked at my watch. It was 2:15 pm. Maybe the students at Mystic Falls High School are just getting out of school now. And maybe I can talk to a few of them. I used my super speed to get to the school. When I got to the school, I saw several school buses. I also saw students leaving the school. I saw a blonde lean girl with blue eyes wearing a yellow sundress with white sandals walking out of the school. I noticed that she was one of the girls in a few of the pictures on Elena's Facebook profile page. This girl can be one of the keys to finding out who Elena Gilbert is. I followed the girl carefully. She walked out of the school property and went into the town's square.

When there was nobody around her, I sped in front of her. I asked her "What's your name" using compulsion.

"My name is Caroline Forbes", the girl said.

"Caroline, do you know Elena Gilbert", I questioned her.

"Yeah, she is one of my friends".

"Caroline, I need you to tell me everything you know about Elena. Ok. I already know she is a cheerleader and that she is dating a boy named Matt. I also already know she has an aunt named Jenna and a brother named Jeremy. I need to know other information about Elena. Ok"

"Ok. Well she is fun. She knows how to have a good time. She is on the honor roll. She is best friends with me and Bonnie. She is very popular, as am I. She likes to write a lot. She is always writing in her diary. She totally loves Matt. They are always together. She is funny. She always makes me and Bonnie laugh. Her father was a doctor. She is very involved in the community. She does a lot of community service. She has volunteered in helping run blood drives and has helped in soup kitchens and shelters. Everyone in town loves her."

"Thank you, Caroline. You were very helpful". I compelled her to forget this conversation. Caroline started to walk again. Elena does sound like a good person. But I need to be absolutely sure she is the person that she seems to be. I need to talk to more people that know Elena.

I started to walk again and I noticed Matt, Elena's boyfriend, walking. He is probably walking to the hospital to visit her. He is one of the people that know Elena the best. If I want to know who Elena is, I need to talk to this boy. I walked to him and I went in front of him.

"Hello, Matt. My name is Stefan. I need you to tell me everything about Elena", I said compelling him.

"Elena is my girlfriend. I have known her my whole life. My mother was best friends with her mother. She has a brother named Jeremy. She is a cheerleader. She is in the tenth grade, like me. She is beautiful inside and out. She is so kind to everyone. She has a lot of friends. She is very caring. She is a hard worker. She does her best at whatever she does. She is fearless. She is so smart. She loves school. She loves to write. She writes a lot of short stories. When she babysits little kids, she reads them her short stories. She is so creative. She is a lot of fun. We always have fun together. We go mini golfing, bowling, and go to amusement parks. We also go to a lot of parties together. Elena makes me so happy. I love her".

"Thank you, Matt. I appreciate it. Now forget we had this conversation". Matt left.

From what I have heard and seen, Elena seems like a good person. Matt cares for her very much. He thinks so highly of her. I remember when I thought I felt that way for Katherine. I think I thought I felt that way not just because she was compelling me, but also because I wanted her to be a good person. Before Katherine, I always wanted to be with a girl who was beautiful inside and out. A girl that was caring toward others. A girl that was creative and smart. Maybe I wanted to be with a girl that had those qualities so much I made myself believe that Katherine embodied all of those traits. Elena seems like the type of girl that I have always wanted to be with. If I am going to find out once and for all if Elena is as great as a person as she seems to be right now, I need to do more than just ask people questions about her. I need to see how she acts. I need to witness what she saids to other people and what she does. I need to see for myself if she is the type of person I think she might be.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After I talked to Matt and Caroline, I went back to the boarding house. When I got there Zach was there. He was in the kitchen making dinner. I did not go into the kitchen. Even though we are related, I am aware that he does not trust me. His entire family was killed because of vampirism I feel every time he looks at me, a vampire, he thinks of how vampirism killed his family. I am a reminder to him of how vampirism can destroy people's lives.

Upon hearing Zach cooking, I went up the stairs and I went straight to my room. I walked up to my shelf and pulled out my journal from 1864. I went to the page where I wrote about the first time I met Katherine. My journal entry from the day I met Katherine started out with "Today, I met the most beautiful woman I have ever met. She has perfect olive skin. She has beautiful brown eyes. Her name is Katherine Pierce." As I was reading this entry, I could not stop thinking how she deceived me. I truly believed she was this beautiful inside and out woman, but she was not. She was a manipulative liar. I. I did not think she could be this awful being. I did not take the time to think and consider the fact that she may not be the person she pretended to be. I will not make the same mistake twice. I am going to make sure Elena is the sweet innocent girl she seems to be.

After I looked at old journal entries from 1864, I started writing in my new journal. I wrote all about what Matt and Caroline told me. I also wrote about how Elena seems to be, and how I think she may just be an innocent girl. I hope that Elena is the person I think she is. It would be a shame, if she was not.

It was finally night time. I went to bed early, since I was tired. While I was sleeping, I had a dream that was quite vivid. In the dream I was in Mystic Falls High School. I was standing by the lockers. A locker was opened. I took a couple of books and a couple of binders out of it. I was wearing a navy blue shirt and blue jeans with black boots. I looked down the hall to my right and I saw Elena wearing a black tank top, blue jeans, and black Converse shoes with her hair down talking to Caroline who had her hair in a ponytail and was wearing a white sundress with black sandals. I knew it was Elena and not Katherine in the dream, because Caroline said "goodbye Elena" when they finished talking.

After Caroline said goodbye, Elena walked toward me. When she got close to me, we faced toward each other and then Elena said "Hi, Stefan". Before I could say hi back, she kissed me. The kiss was a short kiss, but it was sweet and romantic. After the kiss, Elena said to me "Let's go to class now".

"Alright" I said and then we went into a classroom where there were a few students and a teacher already there. In the dream we went to six different classes together and we had lunch together. I was so happy. I constantly was smiling. At the end of the day, I drove me and Elena to the boarding house in my red 1963 Porsche. When we got to the boarding house, we went straight to my bedroom. We both sat on my bed and then we started kissing.

A minute after kissing, Elena pulled. She said "Do you know how easy it is to fool you".

"What are you talking about, Elena" I asked her.

"Remember when you were seventeen years old and a poor orphan girl stayed with you?"

"No", I whispered.

"Yes. I am not Elena. I am Katherine." After 'Elena' said this, I woke up.

That dream was so vivid. It makes me doubt my perception of Elena right now. I know there is a chance she might not be the person that I think she is. But I think she is the person that she seems to be. My biggest fear is that she will end up being Katherine and I will make the same mistake that I did in 1864. I cannot and will not make the same mistake twice. I will not be manipulated and deceived by Katherine again. I will find out the truth whether if it is Elena is just a sweet young girl or if she is Katherine, an evil manipulative being.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

That dream I just had felt too real. I know that dreams are just merely reflected on people's subconscious. But what if this dream is more than that? What if this dream is a sign letting me know that Elena is actually Katherine? Or what if is telling me that Elena is related to Katherine and that she is the same type of person as the woman that deceived me so many years ago? I need to look into Elena's family history.

After I decided that I must get information on Elena's family history, I got dressed. I put on a black shirt, blue jeans, and black boots. After I got dressed, I realized I had not feed in a couple of days. I need to feed as soon as possible. I went down stairs and then I left the boarding house and went straight to the woods.

When I got the woods, I did not see any animals at first. But after a minute of being there, I saw a rabbit hopping toward me from a distance. I ran toward the rabbit, snatched it, and starting feeding on it. After I stopped feeding, I stopped hearing the rabbit's heartbeat. It was now dead. I wiped off the little bit of blood that was on my mouth. I started walking toward the hospital.

When I got the hospital, I went to Elena's room. Nobody was in the room. I saw a young female nurse walking past the room. I went toward her. I said "Excuse me. Where is Elena Gilbert"?

"She just got released one hour ago. She is at home now", the nurse said.

"Thank you. Forget we had this conversation. And forget you ever saw me" I told her using compulsion.

Even though Elena nor her friends and family are here, I can still get information on her family history. I walked toward the hospital's secretary office. A woman who was in her mid to late 50's was in the office. The woman had dark brown curly hair that went down to her shoulders. She was wearing blue scrubs. She had blue eyes and light skin. She was wearing a name tag that was labeled "Julia"

"Hi, Julia" I said.

"How may I help you" the woman asked me.

"I need you to make copies of Elena Gilbert's medical records as well as the records of everyone in her family that you have, and I need you to give them to me" I said compelling the woman.

"Yes, I will get you those copies. Just hold on." The woman left. She came back ten minutes later. "Here are the copies you wanted"

"Thank you very much" I said.

"You're welcome" the woman said in return.

"Forget you met me. Forget you made those copies" I told her using compulsion.

"Ok" the woman said. After she said that I turned around and walked away and left the hospital.

After I exited the hospital, I saw a bench in an area where nobody was at. I went toward the bench and sat down. I received a lot of records. I looked at Elena's records first. She has only been to the hospital a few times in her life. The first time when she went to the hospital was in 2003, when she broke her arm, because she fell. The second time she went to the hospital was back in September, when she had to get stitches. And then the third time she was in the hospital was this week.

I looked at her brother's records next. He has been to the hospital more times than Elena has been to. He has had broken bones and has received multiple stitches during his life. He seems like a very active and accident prone boy, like many young boys his age. I also looked at Elena's father's records. In his records, it indicated that he was a doctor working at Mystic Falls General. He worked at the hospital a little over twenty years.

After I looked at Jeremy's medical records, I started looking at Elena's mother records. She was born in Mystic Falls. In her records, it showed she was pregnant in 1993 and that she was carrying a boy, who was Jeremy. In the records, it did not show her being pregnant in 1992 with Elena. According to the records, Miranda only gave birth to one child, Jeremy. Miranda Gilbert is not Elena's biological mother! Elena is adopted!

I know I cannot look into Katherine's family. If somebody found out I was looking into her family, it would be like 1864 all over again. I need to keep a low profile. I cannot let people find out I am a vampire. I am aware that there is a chance I might not be able to find out if Elena is in the same bloodline as Katherine. But I can find out if she is indeed Katherine or is like Katherine by finding as much information on her as possible and observing the way she acts. I will find who Elena truly is. I will find out the type of person she really is. I hope she is the kind-hearted girl she seems to be. But if I discover she is an evil deceitful person, I will be glad that I know that before I could get hurt or something worse than that.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

After I was given Elena's medical records and discovered the truth about Elena's mother, I returned to the boardinghouse. When I walked through the door, I saw Zach walking toward me. I said "Hi Zach".

Zach did not seem much amused. He did not look happy, but his face was neutral. He told me quietly, "Hi, Uncle Stefan. I am going out for a bit. I'll be back soon".

"Okay. I'll see you later", I replied.

Zach did not answer. He simply walked out the door and left. I wish Zach felt more comfortable with me. I wish he was not scared of him. But I know why he feels that way. My sadistic estranged brother killed his family. I want Zach to know not all vampires, like me, are beings that should be feared. Yes, a long time ago I was a monster that elicited feared, but I am not that being anymore. I now have complete regard for human life. Now, I would never kill humans. Maybe one day, Zach will see that. He does in fact see me as less monstrous and dangerous than my brother. If he did not, he would probably not speak to him. But I still can sense fear in him when he sees me.

After my encounter with Zach, I went straight to my bedroom. When I arrived at my bedroom, I immediately went toward my bed and sat down. I need to observe Elena Gilbert and see how she acts to find out who she truly is. I should go to her parents' funeral. There I can get insight on who she is. I will be secretive when I go. I will blend in with the other attendees.

After sitting on my bed for a minute and making the decision of attending the funeral of Elena's parents, I stood up and went toward my desk. I sat down and put my laptop on. The obituary for her parents must be online and saids where and what time the wake and funeral services will be. When my laptop goes on, I type the words "Grayson and Miranda Gilbert obituary" into the google search engine. I clicked on the first result. It was their official obituary. In the obituary there was a picture of Grayson and Miranda standing in front of their house. Miranda has her right hand wrapped around Grayson's back, and he has his left hand wrapped around his back. They are both smiling in the picture. They look so happy. In the obituary it states how much they cared about other people, especially their children, Elena and Jeremy. The obituary makes it seem that they were very caring people. At the end of the obituary, it said that their wake would be starting at 12:00 pm tomorrow following with a funeral services and then there would be a reception at the Gilbert family house. I will go to all the services.

Right after I read the obituary, I closed and shutoff my laptop. I walked toward my closet to make sure I had one of my black suits to wear to the services. When I opened my closet, I noticed that I stored two of my black suits at the boardinghouse. That is good, because I need something formal to wear tomorrow, so I hopefully get some answers on who Elena Gilbert really is.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The next morning I woke up 10:30 am. The wake starts at 12:00 pm. I have time to get ready until then. I decide that when the wake is taking place, I will simply stand outside of the place it is at. If I go to the actual wake services, I will have to have interactions with Elena and other people. I have to go undetected. I cannot be obvious. I am a stranger to the present day residents of Mystic Falls, apart from Zach. If I go into the wake services, people will question who I am, and what is my connection to Miranda and Grayson Gilbert. I cannot have that happen. I will stand somewhere close to the wake services, and use my super hearing to listen to Elena and the other people at the wake. I can go to the funeral, because it will be at the church, so I can sit down in the back row and not be conspicuous. If someone does talk to me and questions me, I can easily compel him or her. After the service in the church, the burial of Miranda and Grayson will take place at the town's graveyard. I will also attend that service, but I will not be stand near the rest of the people that are in attendance.

An hour after I woke up, I put on one of my black suits. I go to the full body mirror to see how I look. Going to wakes and funerals is not new to me. In my more than 100 years of existence, I have gone to several wakes and funeral services. The hardest one was my mother's funeral. I was just a young boy when I went to hers. My mother died of tuberculous. However, back in the 1800' people thought she died of consumption, because that disease had not been discovered yet. I loved my mother very much. She was nurturing, caring, and gentle. It was hard losing her. Even though it was hard, I still went to her funeral, unlike my brother. My brother was supposed to give a speech at her funeral, but he ended up not even going to the funeral at all. I was so angry at him then. I confronted him about him missing the funeral, and he told me he did not know what to say in the speech he was suppose to give. I told him he could have just said goodbye. I did not realize until much later, but our mother's death was hard on him. He loved her like I did, but he felt he could not handle going to her funeral.

I know this day will be hard for Elena if she is actually Elena and not Katherine. Wakes and funerals are hard, especially if they services for your own parents. It was hard going to my mother's funeral. While I was at her funeral, I just kept thinking how I was never going to see her again. Also, I saw many people crying, people who were not even that close with her, which made me cry even more than I was. These people also kept saying sorry to me, which further reminded to me that I was without my mother, and I was never going to see her again or be able to talk to her again.

It is 11:50 now. I should head to the wake now. I leave the boardinghouse. I do not see or hear Zach. I do not know if he is going to the wake and funeral. Maybe he is. Maybe he knew Miranda and Grayson Gilbert. But he never told me, so I do not know. When I got outside, I walked toward to the location that the wake is being held at.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

As I got closer to where the wake was being held at, I could hear various voices. Two of the voices were Elena and her aunt. I can hear the aunt saying "We will get through this".

Elena was sniffling. "I know" she said

I was still continuing walking somewhere that was close to the wake, but not too close where people could easily see me. I saw a tree that was not too far where the wake was at. I decided to stand behind the tree.

I heard another voice. It belonged to the girl Caroline who earlier I compelled to get information about Elena. She was with her mother, because I heard her saying "Mom, are you okay?".

"Yes, dear. I'm fine", her mother said somberly. I recognized the voice. Caroline's mother was the police officer who told Elena that her parents passed away.

The next thing I heard Caroline say was "Elena, I'm sorry. You poor thing". I could hear Caroline start to cry.

"Yeah. I'm ok", Elena stated quietly.

Jeremy, Elena's brother must also have been with her and Jenna, because Caroline's mother said, "Hi, Elena, Jeremy, and Jenna. I'm sorry. Miranda was one of my closest friends growing up. She was an amazing woman who truly cared about her family and Mystic Falls. Grayson was an amazing doctor and man. He was truly selfless".

"Thank you, Liz", Jenna told her.

"Anything you need. Any of you. Don't hesitant to contact me. I'm hear for all of you", Liz said.

"Thank you", Elena and Jenna said.

"Yeah, thank you", Elena's brother said very quietly.

I could hear Caroline's footsteps along with her mother's. They both start walking away from Elena and her family.

"Matt", I heard Elena say.

"I'm so sorry, I couldn't be here sooner. It's was, because.." Matt, Elena's boyfriend started to say.

"It was because of me. I had a hard time finding a dress to wear. Our house is such a mess. I wanted to get here earlier", a woman's voice said.

"It's okay, Kelly. You are not late", Jenna calmly said

"I cannot believe they are gone. It was just like yesterday that, Miranda and I were in high school".

"I know", Jenna told Kelly.

"Come here". Kelly hugged Jenna.

Then Kelly said, "Come here, Elena and Jeremy", and she hugged both of them.

A new voice said "I'm sorry for your losses. The voice belonged to a younger woman. It was probably Matt's sister.

"Thank you. Vicki", Elena replied.

"Do you want me to stay with you", Matt asked Elena.

"It's okay. I am here with Aunt Jenna and Jeremy", Elena told her boyfriend.

"Okay. I love you. I'll see you soon".

"See you soon".

After a couple of minutes when Elena's boyfriend along with Kelly and Vicki, I heard Elena say "Bonnie".

The other girl, Bonnie said, "Elena. Hi, Mrs., Sommers. Hi, Jeremy.

"Hi, Bonnie, Jenna stated.

"How are you guys holding up?" Bonnie asked.

"Okay.. Hello, Mrs, Bennett", Jenna replied.

"Hello, Jenna", a voice that was not Bonnie's said. The voice was of an older woman.

"Thank you for coming", Jenna told the older woman.

"I wanted to come. I have known Grayson and Miranda for a long time. They were amazing people, and they raised great kids.

Elena in response said ,"thank you".

"I will see you later". Mrs. Bennett told Elena, Jenna, and Jeremy.

"See you", Elena said.

"Elena, do you want me to stay?. If you want me too, I will".

"Bonnie, thank you. But I think I will be okay. I have Aunt Jenna and Jeremy with me", Elena replied.

"Okay"

The next people to talk to Elena and her family were Mayor Lockwood, his wife, and their son, Tyler.

Mayor Lockwood was the first to talk and he said, "Hello, Elena, Jenna, and Jeremy. I am sorry for your losses. Miranda and Grayson Gilbert were truly great people. They contribute a lot to Mystic Falls. They were the epitome of good Mystic Falls citizens. As the leader of our community, I want to extend my help to each of you. If you need anything, please contact me. I am here for all you. Mystic Falls is a community, and when one us is struggling or going through a hardship, the rest of us need to be there for that person. I am here for you all, as are my wife and son and the rest of our town", Mayor Lockwood stated.

Jenna then spoke and said "Thank you, Mayor Lockwood. We appreciate that"/

Tyler, the mayor's son the spoke and said, "Elena, Mrs. Sommers, and Jeremy. I'm really sorry for your losses"

"Thank you Tyler", Elena told him.

The mayor and his family then left. After that, I heard Elena say "Uncle John".

"Hi, Elena, Jeremy, and Jenna. How are you guys", Elena's uncle asked.

"Okay, I guess", Jeremy said sadly.

"I thought you said you were going to be back in town yesterday", Jenna said to Elena's uncle.

"I thought so too, but my plane got delayed. But I'm here now".

Elena's uncle stayed with her, her aunt and brother. They all talked to the rest of the people that came to the wake.

A couple of hours later, Jenna told the remaining people that the funeral service will start in an hour at the church.

When I finally heard Elena and her family leave the wake, I started heading to the funeral service.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

When I was close to the church where the funeral was being held at, I heard various voices. One of the voices was a woman's voice, and she said "It was so hard being at the wake and seeing Grayson and Miranda's children. I cannot imagine how much the pain they must be feeling".

I heard a man's voice, and he said, "I went to high school with both Grayson and Miranda. It is such a tragedy that they both lost their lives. I wonder who willbe the guardian of their children.

Another man said "I think it will be Miranda's younger sister".

"Is she a little bit young?"

"Yeah, but I do not think there anyone else in the family to care of the children. Unless, Grayson's younger brother, John does, but he is the same age as Miranda's sister. And he does not seem the type that would be willing to take care of two children"

"All I know, is whoever the guardian is, the children have a tough road ahead of them".

I decided to go into the church. I go in the row that is furthest to the back, and I sit in the spot furthest to the right. Nobody is sitting next to me. There are several people seated in the row I am at, but they are not quite close to me.

I noticed that in the front row on the left side, Elena is sitting down. She is wearing a black dress and has hair down. She is crying a little bit. On her left side, her aunt is sitting and they are holding hands. The aunt is also crying. Elena's brother, Jeremy, is on her other side, and they are holding hands. Jeremy is not crying. But anyone can easily tell just by looking at him the pain he feels. He looks he is close to crying, but is holding back.

A male minister walked to the front of the church. When he came to the front of the church, everyone else, including myself, stood up. When everyone stood up the minister said, "We are all gathered here in memory of Dr. Grayson Gilbert and his wife, Miranda Gilbert. They leave behind two children, Elena and Jeremy. It was evident that they loved their children very much. They also had love for Mystic Falls. They were much involved in the town's activities. They often donated money and helped ran fundraisers for the town. I had the privilege of knowing them. Anyone that knew them knows they were selfless, caring, and thoughtful individuals. They will always be remembered".

The minister than shared a proverb from the bible. After he shared the proverb he said, "Everyone may have a seat now. Kelly Donovan, a family friend of Dr. and Mrs. Gilbert, will now say a few words".

Kelly who was in the second row stood up and walked to the front of the church. When she finally got to the front, she cleared her throat. I could see she was shaking a bit and was crying earlier. "Miranda was my best friend growing up. I met her in elementary school. We were on the same bus when we met. The bus would always pick her up first. One day, when the bus picked me up, I could not find a seat to sit, but then Miranda asked me if I wanted to sit next to her. When I sat down next to her, she said hello and asked me all these questions about myself, like what my favorite color was and when my birthday was. From then on, she became my best friend. We did so much together. We played together. We went to the movies together. We went to school dances together. We always had so much fun together. She was like a sister to me. I remembered when she met Grayson. She was so happy with him. I am glad they found each other. They were both caring and selfless. They were the best people to become parents. Miranda always wanted to become a mother, and that became a reality when Elena was born. When Elena was born, my son Matty was also born. It was great that my best friend and I both became mothers at the same time. I am glad I had someone that was going through the same thing I was. Miranda was the perfect mother, and Grayson was the perfect father. They cared for their children very much, as well as for the rest of the people around them…". Kelly paused for a couple of seconds. "I am going to miss them". Kelly walked back to her seat, and while she was walking she started to cry.

The minister stood up in front of the church again and said "Now, Grayson's brother, John would like to speak". John then started to walk toward the front of the church.

"As I was growing up, I always looked up to my older brother, Grayson. He always did well school and had many friends. Whenever I had a problem, like with girls or school, I could go to him, and he would always help. When Grayson was in college, he decided to become a doctor. It was no surprised to me nor my family. My brother always loved helping other people. He and Miranda were great together. Miranda was kind and loved her family very much. I was lucky to call her my sister –in-law. I have not been back to Mystic Falls in a while, and I regret not seeing my brother and his family much during that time. I will always cherished the memories I do have of my brother and my sister-in-law". John then walked back to his seat

"The next person to share a few words will be Jenna Sommers, the sister of Miranda Gilbert", the minister said.

"When I was little, Miranda always told me stories. She loved to make up stories. For many nights before I went to bed, she would tell me them. It was our little tradition. I always wanted to be my sister. To me, she was like the perfect girl. She got straight A's in school and was very popular. When she was in high school, I would always want to hang out with her and her friends. I remember her telling me many times I was not old enough to hang out with her and friends. Miranda had a big heart. She was a supportive wife to Grayson. She loved Elena and Jeremy very much. She always made sure that they did their schoolwork and that they were safe. I always knew she was going to be a good mother. I am glad that she met and married Grayson. He, like her, always was compassionate. He was also funny and easy to talk to. Whenever, I visited them, he would crack jokes. Miranda and Grayson were amazing people, and they are going to be remembered for a long time", Jenna said.

"Now Dr. Grayson and Miranda's son, Jeremy, will speak". The minister said.

Jeremy got out his seat slowly and walked at a slow paste. When he got to the front of the church, he paused for about seven seconds. "My parents were the greatest parents. I loved them very much. They always supported me and my sister in whatever we wanted to do. I am never going to forget them". Jeremy then went back to seat. When he was about to sit down, Elena stood up and hugged him.

When Elena and Jeremy stop hugging, the minister said "And now our final speaker will be Elena, the daughter of Dr. Grayson and Miranda". Jeremy sat back down and Jenna took his hand and held it. Elena walked to the front of the church. It was clear that she was crying earlier.

"Thank you everyone for coming. I am lucky that my parents were Grayson and Miranda Gilbert. They loved me and Jeremy unconditionally. They encouraged us to do our best. Whenever we wanted try out something new, like go out for a sport or take up an activity, they supported us. They always made sure that me and my brother were happy and had everything we needed. They listened to us. Whenever I had a problem, I knew I could go to them. They always told us, "'You can come to us about anything. We are here for you"'. They always made sure me and Jeremy felt loved. Every day they told us that they loved us. Whenever Jeremy and I left for school and when we got home from school, my mom always hugged us and told us that she loved us. When my dad had to leave to work at the hospital, he would always tell me and Jeremy goodbye and that he loved us. My parents were not just parents. My dad was a doctor, who cared about everyone, and not just his family. Even though he worked a lot and he missed me, my mom, and brother, he was helping people, which I am so proud of. My mother cared for others, as well. She was actively involved in the town from when she was young. When she was a teenager she was Miss. Mystic Falls, which is a title I hope I have someday. My mom has multiple times helped run fundraisers to raise money for the town. She also has volunteered in soup kitchens and donated money to different charities. I am proud to be the daughter of Dr. Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, and I hope when I am older, I am just like them".. Elena then walked back to her seat. When she got back, she hugged her aunt and brother, and then sat down.

For one last time, the minister came up to the front of the church and said, "All the speeches that the speakers made were amazing. Dr. Grayson and Miranda Gilbert were inspiring individuals, and they will be greatly missed. In about an hour, the burial service will take place", the minister said.

When the minister finished talking, many people started to leave. Elena's speech seems genuine. It really does seem that she is just a normal girl who just lost her parents. I still need to observe her more, to make sure she is who seems to be. I think I know who she is, but I could be wrong. I need to be absolutely confident that I know who she is and what kind of person she is.


End file.
